Dump-car-door-releasing mechanism



June 29 1926.

' 1,590,309 J. o. NEIKIRK El AL DUMP CAR noon RELEASING IECHANISII v Filed Jan. 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

June 29 .1926. 1,590,309

J.' o. NEIKIRK El AL DUMP CAR DOOR .RELEASING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s In IIR Uhl'ii STATE rseosae rarest easier.

JOHN D. NEIKIRK, OF LGMBABD, AND WILLIAM. E, MOBEY, F CHICAGO,ILLINOIS,AS

SZGILIDES "E0 NATIGNAL DUMP CAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A C011;-

PJEATIOK OF MAINE- D'UMP-CAR-DOOR-RELEASING MECHANISM.

Application filed January This invention relates to dump car doors and retaining hooks therefor, and has for its primary object to provide such hooks,

with means whereby they can be withdrawn, from a position of safety, and thereby avoid the necessity of the operator standing in the path of the discharging cargo while withdrawing them to release the doors which they secure. Further objects are to provide hook releasing mechanism so constructed that when in its normal position of shown in the accompanying" drawin In said drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a dump car showing door retaining hooks and the subject-matter of the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2* X of Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and i are, respectively, a front elevation and an axial section of a modified construction of the rotating head equipped for the introduction of an improvised or other removable manipulating lever.

1 represents a box car, and 2 the doors thereof which are pivoted at 3 and embody in their construction angle iron cleats t which are made to protrude sufficiently beyond theedges of the doors to cooperate with retaining hooks 5 which swing about pivots 6 to and from position in which they engage the cleats 4. To retain the hooks 5 against displacement by shock or vibration in transit, chocks 7 pivoted at Sand controlled by lugs 9 may be moved into and out of position behind the hooks. The parts thus far described are of known construction and are to be regarded merely as illustrative of means, in the broad sense, to which the subject-matter of the present invention is applicable.

Heretofore it has been proposed to withthe operative principles de- 3, 1922. Serial No. 526,519.

draw the hooks 5 by local manipulation. But this practice is objectionable because it has to be done from a standing position directly in front of the discharging cargo, for instance, from a position immediately to the right of the open door 2 in Figure 2, and therefore puts the operator in jeopardy of physical injury. The present invention avoids this objection by providing means through which to release the securing means, such as a hook 5, and preferably a pair of such releasing means, from a position removed from the path of cargo discharge. .The. preferred embodiment of such means consists in a leverage member in the form of ahead 10 rotatably mounted upon an arbor 11 and connected with a'hook or hooks 5 from a point or points 12 on said head radially remote from the center of rota tion of the head, whereby displacing movement in the hook or hooks is developed when the head is rotated. Rotating head 10 may be provided with a manipulating lever -13 extending to a point outside ofthe path of cargo discharge, or to a point within convenient reach of a standing position outside of said path, so that the door can be released by merely manipulating the lever; or as hereinafter set forth in connection with Figures 3 and 4, said head may be so constructed that it can readily receive such a lever connection.

Lever 13 is preferably positioned normally behind a keeper from which it can be released, by raising it above the keeper and then pulling it into a plane in front of the same. When so released, the lever can be thrown downward to rotate the head 10 and Withdraw the hook or hooks, with which the head is connected, to release the door. The connectionslbetween the head 10 and the hooks 5 are such that when the head is in normal position, for instance when the lever 13 is returned to inactive position behind its keeper is, the hooks can move into and out of locking position independently of any movement of the head; in other words, at such times, the hooks are free for automatic response to the closing of the doors, or for locking manipulation independently of movement of the controlling head 10. For this purpose the connections of hooks 5 with the head 10 may be estabmovement of the hooks relatively to the head. I As shown in Figures 3 and 4t, 1t 18 not necessary to have the lever 13 permanently connected with the head 10; on the contrary, the latter may assume the form shown at 10 in said figures, according to which it is provided with a plurality of pins 16 projecting parallel with its axis of rotation, but at points radially remote therefrom in-a manner to adaptthe head toreceive a stake, marlin pin, or other manipulating member adapted to assume the relation of a lever to the head.

With a manipulating device embodying the relations of parts and operative principle herein described, it possible, after withdrawing the chocks 9 "from behind the hooks 5, to assume a position of safety, and, by lifting lever 13 from its keeper 1% and depressing it, simultaneously to withdraw both latches 5 and permit the door to open; and when it is desired to again load the car or restore its door to transport position, it is merely necessary to restore the head 10 to normal position, raisetho door, manipulate the hooks-5 or permit them to enter antomatically into locking engagement therewith, and restore the checks behind the hooks.

It is to be noted that in the particular design of hooked latch shown thepivot 6 is in a line perpendicular to and intersecting the fiat face by which the door is supported as well as tothe-conformingfiat face of the hooked latch. This condition develops a decided lifting component *in the move ment of the face of the hook to releasing po sition which requires increased effort to re lease the door, especially when loaded. The combination of leverage member 10 with such an arrangement of the hook, and especially when equipped with the long arm 13 is particularly advantageous.

lVe claim: I p

1. In a dump car, a door, a hook for said door, and means through which to release said hook from a point remote from the hook while leaving the hook free to be restored to locking position by-local manipulation, said means comprising a pivoted lever extending to a remote point, a flexible connector between the love-rand the hook through which the lever is adapted to withdraw the hook,

and means for supporting the lever in position to leavethe connector slack atter releasing the hook. I

2. In a dump car, a door, hooks for said door, a rotary lever controlled member piv- 01 ed intermediately of said hooks and adapted; to be manipulated from a point remote from the hooks, and connectors extending *trom respective hooks to said lever controlled member at points on opposite sides a pair oi oppositely presented hooksadapted to enter automatically into engagement with the door as the door is raised to closing position, an operating lever extending to a point outside the path of cargo discharge, and flexible means connecting the hooks to said lever and through which the lever is adapted 'to withdraw the'hooks to :release the door.

Signed at Chicago,-Illinois, this 29th day of December, 1921.

JOHN O. NEIKIRK. \VIL'L s M E. MORE Y. 

